Suzaku's Fire
by DreamFeathers
Summary: A war between Suzaku and Seiryuu started when Suzaku called forth his own Miko to prevent Seiryuu from being summoned. For revenge, Seiryuu has sealed Suzaku into a mortal body without his powers in cruel race against time and luck.
1. Default Chapter

**_Suzaku's Fire_**

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**_Summary:_**

_The jealousy of a God is never a good thing. And from the four Gods, Seiryuu's hate can be fatal. A war between Suzaku and Seiryuu started when Suzaku called forth his own Miko to prevent Seiryuu from being summoned and bringing the four kingdoms into war. For revenge, Seiryuu sealed Suzaku into a mortal body without his powers…_

**_Disclaimers:_**

_*sighs* I own none of the original FY characters presented during this fic. There. Happy? Good. Because I'm not. *is sulking* *perks up* Except Yuki. He's all mine. ^~_

**_AN:_**

_I'd like to thank Lana and Theresa for being my beta! You guys are the best. ^^_

**_Chapter 1_**

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 The Four Corners of Heaven had gotten busy lately since Seiryuus**'** and my Miko had appeared at the same time, which was unusual. Genbu and Byakko followed restlessly the war that had started between Seiryuu and me because the result of our brawl would have some serious effects in their kingdoms too. 

 He was clever, I had to admit, but I didn't expect anything less from the God of war. The kodoku case with my Tamahome was especially good. I had had a hard time keeping the little amber of Tamahome alive and when he faced Miaka, I watched restlessly as he swayed on the edge of light and darkness. At one point he was dangerously starting to bend towards the darkness. Now I couldn't have that, could I? A little innocent kick in the right direction did the trick pretty neatly, if I may say so myself. I actually heard Seiryuu explode and roar with frustrated anger in his blue area of Heaven. I bet his seishi, Nakago, would hear from this…

 "That went well _*hmm?*" I grinned and fluttered my wings, pleased, and turned to see my white haired brother, Byakko, who had come to see how things were going. I had always had good relationships with my two other brothers, Byakko and Genbu._

 "Smoothly," Byakko smirked his fanged smile "That was music to my ears," he sighed and smiled in bliss, like a cat on a cream cup. "But I'd better get back to make sure Seiryuu won't take it out on me. He's pretty unpredictable y'know. " 

 I nodded while I turned to look at the red map made of chi and reached to nudge my Chiriko to make him to hurry to the capital, Konan, where my other seishis were. I wanted to end this pointless thing known as war as soon as possible.

 "See ya later," Byakko nodded and with a wipe of his striped tail he was gone.

 I used this short break to wander to my shrine, which had a connection to its version on the mortal plane, in which I was my strongest. I sighed and bulled my wings together, leaning forward to look into my crystal-like pool to see what was going on in the world. Good. Chiriko was on the capital now and to my surprise, near my shrine. I searched for the rest of my seishi and Miko. For some reason Miaka felt nervous and the rest of the six seishi were inside the shrine, blazing with excitement. What was going on?

**_"The four places of the heavens._**

**_The four corners of the earth."_**

 That was the summoning! But this wasn't right. All of my seishi weren't gathered yet!

**_"In the name of sacred law, belief, and goodness."_**

 Someone put a hand to my shoulder from behind me, digging long, sharp nails into my shoulder. "What?!" I turned around to see a tall, blue haired man staring me with his cold blue eyes. "Seiryuu!"

**_"I summon thee, Suzaku,_**

**_Lord of the south."_**

 "Not this time," Seiryuu hissed, his blue eyes blazing. "You're not going to win this time."

**_"I now say these words to thee."_**

 "Your time is over…. Brother." He spit the last word with poisoning malice. With one fast slash he struck my wings. I screamed as I felt something breaking inside from several places and a few fiery feathers fell to the ground. 

**_"Appear on earth from the seven places of heaven_**

**_For the sake of those here who adore you."_**

 How could this be? No God should be able to enter into another God's temple. Unless… There was his seishi in my shrine. Seiryuu grasped my flaming red hair and turned my head to look at the crystal pool. There was my Miko in front of the fire and seven persons around her. But I saw only six of my seishi. 

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**_"Come to us here."_**

 I looked closer. Deep inside of the seventh person, there was a flicker of blue. "No…" Seiryuu smiled coldly behind me.

 "Now that would be my Amiboshi. The one who you once tried to steal from me."

**_"With thy holy power…"_****__**

 Seiryuu raised his free hand, gathering his power and released a chi blow on my back, burning my back and clothes. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I couldn't feel either of my wings. Panting, I turned to my side and looked at Seiryuu in shock. How could he do this? "Why?…"

**_"Smash the evil which threatens us."_**

 He kicked me into my face with his iron boot, and I tasted something that was new for me; my own blood. Seiryuu kneeled next to me and sent another strong chi blast into my chest.

 "This was going to be my time. My summoning!" he sneered. "And I'll make sure that you won't interfere this time."

**_"Save us!"_**

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 He reached out his hand and lightly touched my forehead. Suddenly I felt my Celestial powers being drained from me and I started to feel weak.

 "N-no…" I snarled. With the little power that I still had I managed to slip between the dimensions of Heaven and earth.

**_"And hear our wishes to thee."_**

 I couldn't control my falling, my eyes being blinded by my own blood, so I went towards the only safe place I could sense: my temple on earth. I was almost there when Seiryuu hit his final blow. I screamed in pain as I felt my whole body jerk in the claws of his crackling power.

**_"Descend to us now from heaven!"_**

 The falling suddenly ended when I hit hard on stones and bounced, this time hitting even more painfully to the ground if possible and started roll down hill, which suddenly ended with a painful thud. I risked slowly opening one eye. I was on the feet of a tall building. I had made it! It was the back of my temple. Now if I only could manage to get inside…

 Suddenly there was the sharp, ear-piercing play of a flute coming from the inside of the temple.

 _'No! My seishi! I have to protect them!' _Unsteadily I rose to my feet and tried to spread my wings to fly to them, though I knew that they were broken, but I had to try anyway. I flexed the muscles painfully, but there wasn't any feeling of wind, no rustle of feathers, nothing. I looked over my shoulder.

 "My wings. They're gone!" I breathed.

 "Are you okay mister?" A young voice piped from the shadow of the rail and I turned to look at a young boy that had wide green eyes. _'My Chiriko… But… He doesn't recognize me?_'

 "I'm fine," I managed to cough. "Wait!" I shouted when he turned to run up the stairs. I didn't have the time. "Here. Use this." I ripped a couple nice sized leaves from the nearby bush. "Now run!"

 I smiled as I watched him quickly running up the stairs and disappearing out of my sight. I trusted him to figure out why I have given him the leaves. I hadn't given him the gift of wisdom for nothing. Heck, he had beaten me half of the time in Go, when he still was a spirit without a body in Heaven.

 I slowly leaned to the stone rail, taking a deep breath, and grimaced. For some reason, even breathing was hurting. I looked down and blinked and then blinked couple of times again. I was in a body all right. But it wasn't mine!

 I looked at my hands. I had slender and long-fingered men's hands, which looked like they were made for delicate jobs. Mages' hands, as I called them. I was wearing black long pants that were made of some thick but comfortable material. _'Jeans.'_ The weird word popped to my mind.  I was wearing a soft cream coloured shirt with long sleeves that had a small black pattern on the left side on the chest. The name of the pattern was just on the edge of my mind. Over the shirt I was wearing an open, black, button-down shirt, whose sleeves reached to my elbows. I nudged the thin chain made of bright metal that I noticed hanging on my hip.  
_ 'Keys?' _I wondered when I accidentally pulled from my back pocket a small bunch of keys attached to the end of the chain. The most annoying thing was that I had no idea where these fitted, though they seemed weirdly familiar. I noticed a light weight pulling my neck and I reached my hand to touch my throat. I was wearing a necklace that was too small to be slipped over my head. I pulled it as far as I could and saw a glimpse of gold. As my fingers traced the pattern of the pendant, I snarled when I realized what it was.

 _'A dragon… Seiryuu!!'_ I could feel the cold tentacles of his power glowing from the pendant and freezing my fingertips._ 'That bastard has sealed me into this other world mortal body!' I gritted my teeth as I curled my fingers into a tight fist around the dragon pendant and gathered my powers to rip the necklace away from my neck and turn it into dust on my hand.   
_ *tug*  
_ "…..?!"  
_ *tug tug YANK TUG*_ I hissed when the thin, probably gold, chain of the necklace painfully sank into my neck and I saw blue light glowing through my fingers as pendant started to feel like solid ice on my hand. My cruel situation dawned in an instant.  
 "That damned lizard has sealed my powers!" I hissed quietly and looked up to my temple, where the flute was still playing. _'My seishi.___ My Miko.' I started to unsteadily limp up the stairs as fast as I could. __'If something happens to them… I will personally scale Seiryuu. Slowly. I just hope Chiriko isn't too late.'_

_ I grimaced, as I had to stop to take deep rasping breaths, leaning to a statue and holding my ribs. My best guess was that something had broken inside of me. How much longer could this mortal body hold on? I looked up when I had almost reached for the top of the stairs. The music had stopped and I held my breath. I still could sense my seishis' and Miko's presence. Soon I heard loud shouting and a boom of fire._

_ 'Ah. And that would be my Tasuki.' I smiled, pleased, but it faded soon when a figure dashed out of the front doors of my temple, chased by two other persons._

_ 'Amiboshi…. And Tamahome and Tasuki right on his heels! They're going to kill the boy!' I cursed and limped faster up the stairs until two other people ran out of the doors and down the main stairs after them. _'Miaka and Chichiri.'_ I sighed in relief._

 "Wait, Tamahome!" Miaka shouted after her protector "Chichiri! Take me with you and help me to follow them!" she said for the young mage who had followed her.

 "Got'cha no da." Chichiri nodded and the two of them disappeared with a pulse of red chi. I could now slow down to take careful rasping breathes, because I knew that those two wouldn't let anything happen to Amiboshi. Every step I took towards the top was filled with pain and I started to see little stars on my vision. This couldn't be a good sign.

 I slipped the cursed dragon pendant under my shirt as I finally reached the temple and saw Miaka, Chichiri, Tasuki and Tamahome walking back quietly. I could feel their sorrow radiating from them. I looked away. I couldn't see Amiboshi with them.

 Suddenly I noticed a familiar figure hiding behind the huge pillars near the door and couldn't help myself, but sneaked behind Chiriko.

 "I see that you made it in time," I said softly close to his ear, startling the boy. He quickly turned around, straightening himself and hitting his head to my jaw, knocking me off of my feet.

 "Itaaaaai." He whimpered, rubbing his head and looked at me. "You?"

 "Yeah. Me." I hissed, grimacing, and rubbed my back where I had landed. Every muscle on my body was protesting against this sudden assault. Loudly. I really wasn't thrilled with my taste of mortality.

 "How did you know that I could use the whistle leaf to interrupt the flute?" Chiriko asked quietly when Miaka and my three seishis walked back to my temple.

 "Just a lucky guess." I coughed, fighting for air, and straightened my charred, aching back while trying to avoid his eyes. "Why don't you go inside? I think your friends are missing you."

"Please, come with me," Chiriko suddenly said. "I think the other Suzaku seishi would like to meet you, and thank you." The small boy smiled and tried to help me up. I looked at his eyes for a second, only seeing innocent hopefulness in them. 

 _'Damn.'_ I sighed _'Who could resist those eyes?' _I smiled and nodded to him. "Why not."


	2. Chapter 2: At the temple

**_Suzaku's Fire_**

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**_Chapter 2_**

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Chiriko stopped at the temple door when he was just about to enter and I followed his suit, ignoring the weird tinkling sensation when I leaned to the door frames behind Chiriko and my hands and legs turned into goose bumps. I watched the people in front of the altar, the roaring fire blazing behind of them. Miaka was arguing with Tasuki and rest of the seishi was watching them.

"Don't say so, Tasuki!" she snapped, being in verge of tears "Chiri-, I mean Amiboshi wasn't like that!" she clenched the sad, lonely looking, flute on her hands "Somebody… Somebody like him… Someone who could play such a beautiful and soothing music can't be a bad person." She sniffled. Tasuki lowered his head, not being able to argue with his Miko.

My head snapped up when a tiny melody pulled me away from my gloomy thoughts and I looked down at my final seishi in front of me. Chiriko was playing a tiny, simple tune with his leaf whistle. Everybody on the room was now staring us, first time noticing our presence. And now we had got 100 per cent of their attention as well as the guard's attention. Five or six spears were pointing at us and ten guards in their red armors stepped between us and the Miko.

"Hold it!" Hotohori shouted, using his royal tone. "Don't harm those two." The guards pulled away their spears and backed away when Miaka and my seishi stepped closer. Miaka leaned closer to Chiriko's eye level, looking at him curiously.

"Who are you? What's your name, little one?" she asked from Chiriko, smiling warmly.

"My name is Ou Dokun." He smiled back, bowing politely for her "But my celestial name is Chiriko." He said pulling his long robes enough to reveal a red character of 'cho' for stretch that was faintly glowing on his right feet. "I used this simple leaf whistle to interrupt that double-ganger's chi."

"No shit! Do ya mean that yer the REAL Chiriko?!" Tasuki exclaimed in disbelief, dressing everybody's thoughts into words. "But you're just a kid."

Chiriko decided to ignore the bandit's mouthing "And I agree with you, Miko-sama. I didn't sense any true evilness from him." Miaka smiled at this, the young seishi's words giving her a little comfort.

"What about that gaijin then?" Tamahome asked suspiciously, nodding towards me.

_ 'Gaijin? What is he talking about?'_ I wondered confusedly when everybody in the shrine turned their attention from their newest member into me.

_AN: In Japanese, gaijin stands for a foreigner from far away or western people.  
_

"May we ask what are your intends here, stranger?" Hotohori asked on his deep, calm voice, as he stepped forth and glanced Tamahome and Tasuki to quiet them down. "You are wearing some unusual clothes." He stated. After what Seiryuu's Nakago had done to them their miss trust towards outsiders was justified.

"He is not an enemy, your highness." Chiriko said and bravely stepped between me and Hotohori "This man helped me to win Amiboshi's song. I'm not sure if I'd have been able to break his spell whitout his aid." The 13 years old boy tried to stand tall.

Miaka straightened herself and looked at me closely, as if trying to remember something and for some reason her studying gaze made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't used to being looked at like that or having so many people around me and it was making me slightly nervous. Heaven is a quiet place after all.

"Hey. I think I know you." Miaka suddenly said in awe.

_'WHAT?!'_ I turned inwardly SD and sweat dropping _'She can see through this cursed pendant? How is that possible? Though she IS my Miko, but still…' _My new mortal body had started to pump adrenaline into my veins, making my heart beating faster, though I was still calmly leaning against the doorframes. My face was a mask of calmness when she stepped closer with that sweet smile on her face and I felt my brows slightly frowning in polite confusion.

"We haven't been introduced, but I am Miaka Yuuki, Keisuke's little sister. He has told me a lot about of you. You are that foreign exchange student, who came to his class on this spring. And once he even showed me you from the crowd on the mall." Miaka chirped excitedly.

'_Excuse me?...' _I though dryly.

"Your name is Yuki, right?" Miaka continued.

"Miaka. What's going on? Do you know this weirdo?" Nuriko asked quietly from her. The answer for that question came from a surprising direction. I felt my head nodding lightly and my lips curling into a faint smile.

"Mm-hm." I heard my own voice humming the simple tone of confirmation. "That's me." What the heck?... "I think Keisuke has mentioned of having a little sister." Something or –body was controlling my new body. Could it be that I wasn't as alone in it as I had thought? Then something Nuriko had said registered in my mind.

"Weirdo?… Me?…. Right…." I said slowly in a tone that made the beautiful crossdresser grimace for his choice of words. I sighed and lightly shook my head in defeat. "Anyway. What are you doing here Miaka?" I asked, looking around "Or do you usually hang around in weird temples wearing funky clothes?" I lightly tilted my head questioningly, trying desperately to lead the conversation away from me. "I bet Keisuke would be worried if he'd know about this…"

My Miko looked at me stunned for few moments before she recovered and whirled around. "That's right, the ceremony!" she looked at the holy fire "The fire is still burning. So we might still have time to summon Suzaku." She said, pointing at the fire "Hey, everyone! Let's go for it and pray. We still have a chance." everybody took their places hurriedly around the fire, leaving me to stand alone by the door.

"Everybody! Concentrate to the fire!" Miaka ordered and started quietly praying. All seven Seishi did the same and concentrated their chi into the prayer and sudden quietness filled the temple.

_ 'Sorry. Wrong number. Nobody home.'_ I thought dryly sarcastically as I watched them looking at the fire hopefully, their voices flowing through my mind, whispering the hopes and fears hidden in their hearts. I froze when I realized what I had just thought and felt like banging my head to the nearest pillar. _'Where all these thoughts and reactions are coming from?!__ This is not like me at all.'_ Thought shakily as I finally stepped inside of my temple.

I had only taken few steps when sudden feeling of nausea and dizziness took over me and I felt the blood escaping from my face. It was like thousands invisible daggers of ice were piercing my crushed body and here was tiny red lights dancing on my vision. Was my own temple rejecting me? My _own temple_?!

So it wasn't that much of a surprise that when a old face, that resembled raisin from distant stone age, jumped out of the flames I fell on my burnt back to the ground from the shock along with my seishi, clenching my poor mortal heart. The scream that almost brought down the roof of the temple made my ears ring painfully.

When I finally felt like almost living again I carefully made my way to sit up, just to see my priestess to get scolded by Tai Itsukun. I winced at the sight, remembering the bashing that my brothers and me sometimes got from our mother when the world was still young. For example, the kitten Byakko had had the unhealthy habit of trying to drown Seiryuu, who had been just a little lizard, to the bond in the garden just to see if a) lizards really could breath under water and b) if they wouldn't, how fast Seiryuu would learn to hold his breath. I really did feel sympathy for my poor Miko and the Nyan-Nyans….

I probed my ear to stop the nerve racking whistling and with a satisfying pop I finally could hear what they were talking about of.

"Now you'll never be able to summon Suzaku, you little fool!" Tai-Itsukun boomed and Miaka's shoulders were shaking from held up tears. I slowly limped to her when Tai-Itsukun had turned her attention to Tamahome and put my hand to her shoulder, falling to my knees.

"No." I slowly shook my head, feeling dizzy "There's another way." I muttered, trying to gather my thoughts "The other Gods… the summonings…" I whispered, trying to hold my thoughts together, feeling sick when my temple doubled its efforts to rebel me. Both Miaka and Tai-Itsukun looked at me surprisedly.

"Yes. That is possible. First you need to travel to the country of Hokkan, which is under Genbu's protection, and find the holly Shinzaho." Tai Itsukun said slowly to Miaka, who was staring at her open mouthed. I also stared at the creator. "But the hardships you must face will be beyond anything you have yet faced. The bond between the warriors and the miko must be unbreakable. And you must have absolute determination. Do you have such strength of will?"

I looked at the old creator dizzily. _'Unbreakable bonds.__ Doh! What is she blabbering about? This is my seishi we're talking about of.' _I thought slightly hurt. When I saw Miaka's eye's hardening from inner fire, I smiled. That was why had chosen her as my miko. She had a gentle heart but her spirit could be as strong as the best of swords. I sat down when the decision had been made, holding my sides and trying hard not to throw up. _'I really don't feel so good._' I groaned and felt blood escaping from my face again.

"Consider this as a reward of your hard work." I looked up when Tai Itsukun's voice echoed from the fire and her face wrinkled even more on concentration and I noticed my Seishi being surrounded by bright lights.

I tried to focus my eyes to what was happening. Soon the balls of light turned solid and taking new forms and I took a rasping breath when I saw what they had turned into. Mitsukake was holding a small jar and Tasuki's Tessen had turned into solid diamond. Nuriko was admiring his new bracelets and I dimly recognized the scroll Chiriko was holding and Chichiri's new prayer beads. I wasn't sure if I was wanted to see what Hotohori and Tamahome had gotten. _'What is Tai-Itsukun doing?! What is this, a heavenly garage selling? Giving away my old things like that.'_ I huffed and turned SD, sweat dropping at the thought _'AND WHAT THE HECK IS A GARAGE SELLING?!?' _I felt like I'd be going insane soon, if I wouldn't die first.

"Cool!!" Tamahome smiled chibily "What about me?! What do I get?" he asked from Tai-Itsukun.

"You get nothing." Tai-Itsukun said bluntly and Tamahome stared at her in shock "After all, you don't need a gift from this old 'sunakakebaba' to help you to make more money." She cackled, obviously enjoying of my seishi's shock. I was dimly aware that Tamahome darted around the room, trying to take Mitsukake's jar and Miaka talking with Tai-Itsukun, but their voices were a blur as I tried to stadn up, feeling my strength draining and my vision starting to turn black.

"Hey… guys… I don't feel so good…" I heard myself slurring quietly when I felt myself falling and my body being wrapped in a world of pain before I slipped into unconsciousness.

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_**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Hi! I'm glad that you liked of the previous chapter, and I hope that this chapter wasn't too much of a disappointment. I'm really sorry that it has taken for so long of me to update, but I'll put up a new chapter as soon as I get one done and run by my beta. (And then some re-reading, taking a dull axe, re-writing…)In other words, this'll take some time, so please be patient.**_

**Chiri26 **- -laughs and hugs- You're my first reviewer! I'm glad that ya liked of the new ficcy! I haven't written anything else for it yet though I'm gona type it as soon as I come up with something and have the energy and time for it. --;;;

**Curious Koneko** – Thank you, sweetie! Glad that you enjoyed. -smiles and winks- I did update, didn't I? Though this fic will be coming out a tad slower, because I post as soon as I get something done…. -.-;;

**paws-bells** - -sniffles- -aw- thanks! I'll try to write some more soon, but how soon I can continue (later) may also depend of how quickly do Viz release a new book of FY. I'm thinking of following more of the manga than anime version…. (excuses, excuses. I know.)

**whiteangelguardian** - -smiles- thanks! I'll try to update sooner.

**Shou Rei - **laughs Thanks! And don't worry of the 'ole bird boy. I have some -heh- plans for him…. -smirk-   
Suzaku: Why do I suddenly got this slightly chilling feeling that I might not like of these plans of yours?.....

-innocent whistle-


	3. Chapter 3 Gaijin

**Suzaku's Fire**

**Chapter 3**

_This chapter is dedicated for Mugged and the good music. Keep the coffee coming guys! (It took me of travelling all the way from Finland to South Africa, getting my life screwed up and shattered to find and pick up this fic, but I'm writing again.)_

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Slowly drifting awake from the dizzy depths of restless sleep the first thing that registered into his senses was the warm, slightly spicy, dusty and wooden feeling of the air. He had lately learned to connect it with a promise of nice sunny day and as if to confirm his sleepy hunch he could hear the chirping of sparrows when his ears slowly woke up and registered back to online. What had he done last night? His mouth tasted like someone had crawled to die in it.

Joonas ran his tongue over his lips and slowly opened one eye as he lay on the bed on his stomach, familiar headache pounding his head. Moving his head and grumbling as his pillow was hard as stone, scratching his face and he pushed it away, resting his head against his arms. Suddenly a strong wave of nausea which he was getting too familiar with hit over him more on reflex he jumped out of the hard bed and over the window, leaning out to empty his stomach.

Spitting the biter taste from his mouth Joonas shadowed his eyes and stared at the garden opening in front of him. Where the Hell was he?! As far as he could recall, he hadn't drank anything unusually strong yesterday. He frowned thoughtfully. He had come home and heard his flatmate Tetsuya arguing with his friend Keisuke in Japanese in another room. He had mixed himself a strong mix of imported Vodka and orange juice and flipped through an old book the guys had left on the living room table, looking at the old fashioned painted pictures of its yellowish pages. It seemed that it was a some sort of story of some girl stupid enough to get into a world of trouble, and apparently there was also some romance involved. He could remember something hitting him and knocking him over, but the rest was hazy and slurred, like after drinking too much too strong stuff too fast.

He saw a movement from the corner of his eye and turned to look. There was a large mirror on the opposite wall and for a second he thought he saw a pale man with a red hair standing up and wearing some sort of torn robe before he pinched his eyes closed tightly for a second and looked again. The reflection showed a messed up young man, with a slightly sharp face with a brown messed up hair and annoyed frown, his chest being heavily bandaged.

'_So it has started.'_ He thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes, trying to fix his vision. Looking down and poking lightly the cotton ties around his chest he winced when the pain flamed through him. Broken rib, he cursed and took a breath and immediately regretted it when his back screamed its objection. Hobbling teary eyed back over the bed when his left ankle added its formal complaints to the list with the rest of his body a door was slammed open and a girl with her hairs held in buns and typical Japanese school uniform pounded in, followed with a tall serious looking man with a cat on his shoulder.

'_Uh oh……'_ was all Joonas managed to think when he was tackled down in a huge hug.

"YUKI-SAN!!!" Miaka chirped, hugging him tightly.

"AAAHHH!" Joonas screamed in pain, colour escaping from his face.

"Sorry sorry sorry…." Miaka apologised and let go of him with a worried look.

"Miaka, please don't tackle the patient so. Even I have my limits what I can heal." Said the tall man with a deep low voice. Joonas peered up at him, not quite sure if he had actually cracked a joke or been just sarcastic.

"Oh yes, Mitsukake, if you could heal him, please?" the energic priestess chirped, giving puppy eyes for the healer. Joonas blinked. Since when had he put the klutz sister of his flatmates friend even on the same map with ancient priestess?... and come to think of it….. what the heck of a priestess?! He was snapped out of his thought when the mountain of a man stepped closer and lifted his left hand where was a red character on his palm.

Healer. Touching. Getting inside you. He will know. He will see everything. No. No!

"NO!" Joonas shouted even for his own surprise and backed on the bed "No... I'm fine." He tried of smiling "Nothing I can't get over with." He said, feeling his face growing paler.

They had quickly given him a fitting nick name when he had arrived into Japan a month ago. Yuki. It meant snow in Japanese. Ironic play with words about his skin colour and where he was coming from, the cold snowy Scandinavia. People never got his name right and even teachers were using Yuki for him. It was close enough anyway.

"Are you sure, Yuki-san?" Miaka asked, exchanging glances with Mitsukake.

"Yeah yeah yea…" the young man waved his hand "Where are we anyway? And how did I get over here? Where ever here is…." He asked, frowning at the girl and causing her to twiddle with her fingers.

"Um…. Mitsukake…..Can I please have a moment with him?" Miaka squeaked, thinking that getting things straight right from the beginning might be the best course of action.

Chichiri was walking towards the royal fishing pond with Tasuki when a sudden deadly silence surrounded them and flock of birds frantically trying to get away.

A roaring "WHAT?!" echoed from the other side of the palace and they could see one roof shaking and almost collapsing.

"Whoa….. the gaijing woke up?" Tasuki gapped at the building and could hear voices talking urgently.

"That or demons, no da." Chichiri said.

Couple of hours later after Miaka had left Yuki walked slightly unsteadily out of his room and sat to a railing, turning his face to a san and closing his brown eyes, enjoying of the warmth of the sun.

Ancient China. Inside of a book none the less. That was just too ridiculous to believe. But on the other hand….. on this point, did it really matter? The wood he was sitting on and sun on his skin felt real enough. It was comforting to know that at least he wasn't hallucinating yet.

He stretched his shoulders, wanting to spread his wings as wide as possible and stopped. Wings? Since when had he thought something like that?

He was reaching over his hand over his shoulder to touch his shoulder blades uncertainly when a beautiful woman walked near to him and leaned over the railing, her long braid falling over her shoulder.

"MII-A-KA!! GET OVER HERE!" She screamed, waving her hands and almost causing Yuki to fall down from his narrow seat. He could see Miaka sitting on the other side of the lake with a blue haired man, who was holding something on his hand.

'_Good, about time they get into talking. Both of them are needing some serious counselling.'_ Yuki thought when he probed his ear _'Wait a moment... I don't even know these people!_' he thought, shocked of the mental note.

"WE ARE GOING FOR THE FESTIVAL IN TOWN TONIGHT! DO YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME AND TASUKI?" the purple haired lady screamed and then seemed to realise that there was someone near her. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shout like that." She giggled embarrassedly, hiding her face behind her sleeve.

'_Of course you didn't… ow… I think I just lost my hearing…_' Yuki thought dizzily "Eah, I'm fine Nuriko." He said instead, trying to smile and probing his ear and froze.

"Ah, you are Miaka's friend. Yuki, was it?" She chirped and then looked at him "I don't think we have been introduced." She cocked her delicate brow at him.

"Well, I guess you must be Nuriko." Yuki managed to smile. How had he known that? "Miaka mentioned of you." He lied quickly.

"You have an unusual name." she said. "You don't look like you're from here." There was something about her that kept on nagging on the back of Yuki's mind, but he couldn't quite point his finger about it.

"Eh, no I'm not. Yuki is just my nick name. It's a lot easier to pronounce" He said "I'm from North." She was quite pretty….

"Hokkan?" Nuriko said, looking surprised "That would explain the color…." Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed something "That's an unusual pendant. Where did you get it from?"

'_What pendant?'_ he thought and his hand reached up to his neck, feeling the light metal slithering and forming something of a dragon. "Ah… that was a birthday present from a friend." He quickly lied again with a lopsided smile. 'Don't get too interested with her. She's a guy.' A thought poked in his mind 'What?' he blinked and stared Nuriko.

"Why are you looking me like that? Something wrong?" Nuriko asked.

"You're a guy." Yuki stated shocked, staring him.

It was Nuriko's turn to be taken back. Usually people didn't pick it up so quickly.

"What gave me up? Was my make up bad?" he looked worried, putting one delicate hand to her, HIS – Yuki corrected himself – cheek.

"No…. your… er…. Make up is fine…." Yuki stammered, being shocked of having been right "It was just a good hunch." He tried to cover it _'Damn… And she was so pretty too…'_ he thought, mentally snapping his fingers annoyedly in disappointment.

"Oh…. Good hunch." Nuriko giggled in that gayish cross-dressing way, waving his delicate hand. "Anyway, there's a Stargazing festival tonight on the town. Would you join us?" he asked.

"I think I will have to pass." Yuki said as politely as possible "I think I need some rest." He said and waved when the cross-dresser left to catch up with Miaka.

Yuki let a sight of relief escape and relaxed a bit. He was stuck in some crazy place and it seemed like was starting to hallucinate. His eyes fell on a weird building. He had seen something similar earlier and it defiantly had "temple" written all over it. His curiosity perked up when a memory from last night drifted drunkenly into his mind. Hadn't he been there yesterday? If it was yesterday…

He got up, straightening his black shirt and as after thought hiding the weird pendant under his shirt. He would have time to get rid of it later. Limping slightly he slowly climbed up the stone stairs and paused to catch his breath on the highest step, wincing when the scars on his back and his broken rib complained with each lungful of air. He looked at the door for a second, wondering if he would be allowed to step in or not before disappearing into the cool shadows of the temple.


	4. Chapter 4

**Suzaku's Fire**

**Chapter 4**

_Searching for Beta to read my texts, scold, fix typos and comment, kicking me on.  
Requirements: good English grammar, knows FY charas and remembering the plot of the MANGA. Mail or MSN/YIM me if you are interested and have time to chat in messenger! )_

**-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

The shadows inside the temple were soothingly cool contrast on his skin against the heavy midday sun and Yuki squinted his eyes slightly, waiting for his eyes to adjust into the darkness. The scent of burnt insects was lingering in the air and he noticed that designers had heavily leaned on wooden pillars and different shades of red and gold when they had made the place. Stuffing his hands nonchalantly into his pockets, shivering slightly when he felt sudden breeze cold like winter night prickling his skin with icy needles. There wasn't much to see except the large golden statue of over sized peacock but he vaguely recalled a large fire burning in the middle of the room from yesterday.

'_It's a phoenix. Not peacock.'_ A voice noted in his mind.

Yuki tilted his head, watching the statue. Well. It could be a phoenix. That or the artist had had funny ideas of pretty chicken.

'_Phoenix.'_ The tiny voice stated with a hurt pride in his mind.

Another drifting detail nudged his mental sleeve to get his attention and Yuki looked around more carefully, his eyes taking in details until he noticed the artistic circle crafted in ceiling and delicate strokes that couldn't be anything else than star signs.

"Now how did that Feng Shui go, that they have in China?" he muttered to himself "Four directions, North, South, East, West. Hmmm… Black and metal with the turtle Genbu for North. Characteristics stable and reliable?" Yuki said absent mindedly, walking to the altar.

'_That is if you can actually wake him…'_ Muttered his thoughts.

"White for tiger Byakko in West, meaning chaos and destruction." Yuki continued, counting with his fingers. It had been no wonder why the Chinese had disliked of the Europeans when they came…

'_Bah, keep his kitty litter clean and give him glass of milk and he will be purring.'_ The annoying thought chided, making him to shake his head to clear his thoughts.

"Blue and dragon for East…..Seiryuu or something like that…. And was it wealth? No…." he said, trying to recall his Asian culture classes. To his slight relief the tiny voice seemed to be quiet and sulking.

"What was the South? Red and fire, warmth and wealth." He counted with his fingers, staring at the statue. "What did they have? A bird. Pigeon? Cockerel? Turkey? No, I don't think they have turkeys here…" he tried to recall.

'_PHOENIX, DAMN IT!'_ the tiny voice jumped up and down.

"Phoenix?... well that thing hasn't seen a phoenix…." He muttered under his breath.

'_Suzaku.'_ He tiny thought suggested.

"Suzaku?" Yuki blinked. "Oh yeah. They called it Suzaku, I think."

'_Thank you.'_

"Aw crap." Yuki murmured and carefully slid to sit on the floor as there were no seats in the temple. "They're seriously having some statue of a bird in here and actually worshipping it." He said, continuing of talking to himself quietly, trying to sort out his thoughts and rubbed his arms absentmindedly as it was getting colder.

'_What about it? It's not like I'm asking for virgin maidens as sacrifice... No, wait, I do. Scratch that.'_ the tiny thought commented, but went unnoticed. _'They could have made better work with the peak tho… And the neck. And look those tail feathers. A disgrace I tell you…'_

"We have to be really deep in southern China…. " Yuki looked around. "Question is, are we here or in actual past?" for a moment he played with the options and decided not to drive himself mental with it and take things as they came. He stared at the huge statue and altar in silence without really seeing it when he slowly realised something. He had heard a voice nagging in his mind. A look of shock passed his face and he brought his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose, his shoulders sacking. They had said that loosing eyesight, hearing and possible the sense of balance were possible in later state, but they hadn't said anything about hearing voices. He was supposed to still have plenty of time.

-.-.-.

It was bad enough to wake up into the fact that you were talking, and that it wasn't you who were doing the talking, but that you couldn't control your body either. The pain of my mortal prison was starting to push me over the edge, continuously gnawing in my mind! How could humans live their lives with it? They were so fragile! I would defiantly have to look if I could talk with Tai-Itsukun if there was any ways of fixing them a bit.

I was snapped out of my little thoughts of personal revenge on Seiryuu when my Mitsukake walked in with my Miko. I can't say that I have ever been happier to see them in flesh and blood than on that moment when Miaka offered him to heal me.

'_Wait a moment… He is a healer, and while he uses his powers, he can read another persons chi.'_ I thought and mentally paled, feeling blood draining from my face.

'_If they ever find out that I'm here sealed in this mortal instead of the Heavens… No… That's not an option…' _I shouted mentally, banging my fists against the mental barriers and for my surprise the body I was tied into crawled back, frantically declining. For a moment I wondered if I should risk it after all just to get rid of the pain when my back and rib made me scream inside my head. I had never felt pain before and I was starting to develop a permanent dislike of it.

The ache triggered a memory of Seiryuus' metal boot and the taste of my blood flashed in my mind and made my determination steel hard. I would have to get them gather my brothers relics and summon me. But something perked my curiosity. Apparently my shouting had hit a sore spot in the boys mind when he had backed from the healers touch. Since I had nothing better to do I started drifting through his memories with gentle touches of my fingers while he was dealing with the conversation.

'_Tsck… Someone has attitude issues…'_ I clicked my tongue when he exploded and folded my arms mentally, sitting back and following the argument with my Miko. My snooping around hadn't brought up anything. His mind was firmly shut about something that he even refused to think of. But I could feel something cold besides me stalking patiently in his mind like a stone and weighting as heavily.

I couldn't hide my curiosity when the boy named Yuki turned to see the mirror and for the first time I could see into what I was tied into and for a second my reflection glimpsed in the mirror. I was a mess. I stared in horror. My beautiful red wings were gone! I could only see two bloodied studs peaking over my shoulders. Apparently I had sent a small pulse of chi, because I could feel the cursed cold bite of the seal hanging on my neck and the image in mirror disappeared.

A boy, no, a young man, about the same age as Chichiri I guessed, was looking me back with a serious frown and gaze that could pierce stones. His skin was strangely almost white, almost as pale as the womens make up and bangs of his messed up brown hair almost reached to touch his deep brown eyes. His stance and face were so foreign that I had to only wonder how he had gotten pulled into this private battle of ours. Yuki certainly was a fitting name for him. I looked at the mirror critically, wrinkling my nose mentally and reached to push the hair away from eyes. He wasn't that bad as far as mortals went. Of course he wasn't as beautiful as Nuriko, or as elegant as Hotohori and _of course_ he was lacking the divine good looks and attraction that _I_ have among both male and female souls in my quarter of Heaven (it's good to be God) but I guess it had to do for now….

I didn't have much of an option but to hang on when we walked outside, running into my cross-dressing Nuriko and I watched amusedly as his interest slowly perked up as he watched her. After all, I'm not called the God of Love for nothing. Match making has always been a bad habit of mine and I defienetly wasn't against male couples. Few of my best success stories were with male and female couples. But right now I didn't want to deal with heart broken men after especially nasty surprise when things would get a bit too heated and excited, so I tried to catch Yuki's attention and break it for him. If physical pain was this bad already, I really wasn't enthusiast of being personally introduced for the pain of shattered hearts.

'_Yuki…… she's a guy...'_ I tried to call out for him, and draw his attention to little details in Nurikos face and body. _'Trust me on this one. Don't get your hopes too high now.'_ I mentally poked his back and for my surprise he blinked. He could hear me? The thought made me grin like maniac. Maybe everything wasn't lost quite yet. Couple of moments later I had to sigh in despair. Humans were so thick.

I happened to glance at my temple and another thought occurred for me. He could hear me somewhat if I screamed, but what if we were in my temple where I was my strongest? If I could just bear with the seal for long enough to establish a connection with him…. I gently nudged his curiosity. That's it…. Gently, that's the way. No, THOSE stairs. Ow, my side….

Catching our breath on the top of the stairs I couldn't but pray that humans would heal fast because I didn't know how long I could take it, but then again it was awkward to send a prayer for myself. For a moment I wondered how Seiryuu had covered the fact that I was gone before I had to focus when the seal started to work again, wrapping me in its icy cold fangs and trying to send me hibernate and my shrine reacting against the pendant, trying its best to reject me. Funnily tho even if I was feeling weak of the mental attack, it didn't seem to affect much into Yuki.

It was a pleasant surprise that the boy wasn't totally ignorant for a foreign and I had to sigh in relief when he seemed to hear me, even if it was just as a nagging feeling on unconscious level when he was recalling what he thought as a details from school.

"Ah, what the heck." He muttered "I can use with all the luck I can get." He said and walked for the altar and for my surprise lit an insect.

"Suzaku of the South." He said and my ears perked. A prayer gives us Gods our strength and right now he had my undivided attention. This wasn't the time to be picky.

"I have no idea where I am and less how I got here." There was a shaking breath "I just wish I have enough time to get home. I don't have much to go back to, but I'd like to feel proper winter instead of seeing the end in somewhere without anyone knowing that I lived." His words hit me like a wall, feeling like suffocating and I could feel every single grain of mortal time slipping between my fingers. I felt like being trapped and my trap was slowly sinking.

'_Why are you afraid of death?'_ I said out loud. There, while he had focused into the prayer a backdoor had opened for a second in his mind and instantly I sank my fingers in, establishing the mental bond. Yuki startled and whirled around. YES! He had heard me.

"Is there someone?" he called out and I could feel heart beating hard. If he wasn't careful it would burst.

'_Take that plate on your right.'_ I said firmly and reached out, grinning when the hand moved with me and lifted a silver plate to my eye height _'Look.' _I said, letting a pulse of red chi spread from my fingertips and the reflection in the metal rippled and changed. For a few seconds a red haired reflection was looking as firmly back, and I defienetly wasn't your happy winged God of love.

"FUCK!" I exclaimed in shock and the silver plate fell with a clang. "Crap…. That's it. I finally went mental." Yuki muttered, covering our eyes and I could feel our knees going suddenly weak for some reason. Humans really were most confusing things.

'_No, you haven't gone crazy. I am the Suzaku.'_ I said, trying very hard to keep pain out of my voice as the attack of the seal and shrine was getting stronger. _'Lets go outside and I will explain you. We have a lot of talking to do.' _I said and picked up the plate, putting it carefully back before turning and hurrying out as fast as I could while still keeping my dignity. It was relieving to be back in control, even if it was just for a moment.


End file.
